By Karen Quinn-Panzer
Travel Matters
Karen Quinn-Panzer
River cruising has expanded exponentially since 1992, when the Main-Danube Canal was completed, connecting three major rivers of Europe – Rhine, Main and Danube – and allowing the free-flow of water traffic between the North Sea and the Black Sea. Viking, AmaWaterways, Uniworld and Avalon are four major cruise lines in this field, and most of them have expanded to include special events happening in Europe year-round.
Perhaps the most well-known are the Keukenhof Gardens Festival near Amsterdam, where millions of tulip bulbs bloom between early March to mid-May with full bloom from mid-April to mid-May for an explosion of color and creativity. Tulips wrapped around a VW Beetle and 60s fashions designed with tulips were just some of the featured exhibits in the flower power exhibit we saw back in 2019 at Keukenhof.
Another huge special event was the 75th anniversary of the World War II D-Day invasion – as honored on river cruises navigating the Seine from Paris to Normandy and back. If you missed it and you have a loved one who is a veteran or just want to pay your tribute and learn about this period of history, you have another special opportunity in 2024 when the 80th anniversary will be honored.
What happens on these river cruises? To start with, all the destinations seen along the way were touched by World War II, and there is a special appreciation for Americans in cities like Rouen, Honfleur and Bayeux. Many of the river cruises have a historian on board to talk about Normandy, D-Day and hold a special ceremony at the American ceremony honoring our veterans. We look forward to escorting a group in October 2024 on one of these cruises.
Another event which has gained popularity year over year is visiting the Christmas markets on the Danube, Rhine, Main and Rhone.
Some less well-known events that one can experience on river cruises are Jewish heritage cruises, where the itinerary on the Danube is geared toward that history; storyteller cruises where authors like Diana Gabaldon of Outlander fame sails onboard and guests get exclusive insights from the author.
AmaWaterways just introduced a Celebration of Classical Music cruise that features concerts in Vienna and Bratislava, plus visits to opera houses and composer walking tours. You can join a specialized vineyards of the Rhine and Moselle sailing that offers a land extension to Reims and the Champagne region in France. Many other itineraries offer wine cruises that feature a vineyard owner who compares New World wine to the Old World wine of Europe with wine tastings throughout the week.
Another new development is the introduction of the seven river journey – the new counterpart to the world cruise. AmaWaterways just introduced it this year, featuring seven rivers and 15 different countries, with unique excursions and new destinations. For 49 days starting in 2024, cruisers will embark and unpack just once aboard a single river cruise ship for the entire journey.
Karen Quinn-Panzer is the owner and vacation specialist at Dream Vacations Quinn Panzer Travel in Milford.